Baby Green And Gold
by Musicalrain
Summary: The last thing Darcy expected was to meet her soulmate when her dad was having a panic attack that was making him look green, and not in a sick way but a 'Hulk Smash' kinda way that was more than a little worrisome. ... Darcy Lewis/Tony Stark, Bruce Banner/Betty Ross, Jane Foster/Thor. Darcy Lewis is Bruce Banner's Daughter & Soulmate AU. POV Darcy Lewis. Originally posted on AO3.
**Baby Green... And Gold**

"You better help me _right now_ or my dad's gonna blow his top, and that's no bueno."

"He's not gonna _blow_ he's gonna Hulk-out, which is _way_... Hey, you're Brucie babe's baby. Now _there's_ a tongue-twister."  
_

The last thing Darcy expected was to meet her soulmate when her dad was having a panic attack that was making him look green, and not in a sick way but a 'Hulk Smash!' kinda way that was more than a little worrisome.

Please note: in this AU everyone is born with a soulmark/soulmarks. Soulmarks are the first words your soulmate(s) says to you written somewhere on your body in their handwriting.

* * *

Darcy always knew her soulmate would know her father. She thought they'd be one of her dad's students or colleges, which is why she took the full-ride to Culver. The promise of destiny and all that. But it never happened. No one ever said those words drawn into the arch of her right foot by Fate. Honestly, she never understood the ' _Hulk-out_ ' part of her soulmark, but after her dad turned into a gigantic raging green monster and fled the country, the reason for those words became clear.

She still had a degree to finish, though, which is why she stayed behind when her dad went MIA and abandoned her and his soulmate. Her dad's soulmate wasn't her mom, which is taboo and the cause for many a teasing back when she was a kid and some angst that lead to a sarcastic coping mechanism, if she was being honest, and although Betty wasn't her mom she was still close with the woman and took her suggestion for her to apply to Dr. Foster's internship. Get out of the state – _far_ away from ruined campuses and anyone who knew she was _that_ Dr. Banner's daughter – and have some time to chillax and process. Which didn't really happen, because Thor happened.

Her soulmate was the furthest thing from her mind while she stood in the rubble of the second destroyed city she'd lived in just as many months.

Jane was a pro at the bury-your-emotions-and-find-something-else-to-do thing, and quickly became her best bestie because of it. Which is why she stayed, followed her to London, and found herself elbow-deep in _another_ disaster of epic proportions, before she finally came to terms with it all.

It was her life. Her dad's the Hulk, her bestie is a genius astrophysicist and the soulmate of an alien prince, and she always finds herself in some _serious_ shit. She'd roll with it, it was all she could do. Her taser helped with that.

She didn't even really _think_ about her soulmark in the wake of Greenwich, which wasn't too hard considering it's not in a spot she really looks at all too often, until she walked in on a _really_ intimate moment between Thor and Jane in Jane's mom's flat where Thor was tracing the runs etched in the tiny scientist's shoulder almost reverently.

And of course she ruins the cuteness when she blurts, "Hey, for some reason I didn't think it'd be in Asgardian or whatever." When they both just stare at her she stammers, "Th-that's pretty cool. Mine just looks like chicken scratch."

She stares at her soulmark for a really long time that night and wonders if her soulmate would look at it – at _her_ – the same way Thor was looking at Jane. But, she'd have to meet them first. That was the thing.

* * *

She knew her dad was back in the States from whatever rock he was hiding under, and she also knew that he'd get into contact with her when he was ready. Honestly, he's always been kind of absent in her life, more the visits-on-holidays-and-remembers-birthdays kind of dad than someone she saw daily, so it didn't hurt _too_ much that he'd been out and about for awhile and _definitely_ around phones and hadn't called her yet... She'd seen the news reports when Loki had invaded and the Battle of New York. She saw the Hulk on TV – her _daddy –_ fighting aliens and doing stupid shit and, hey, maybe it's genetic? That's what Erik seemed to think after she broke the news of her parentage to him and Thor after Greenwich. Jane already knew – they were _besties_ and Darcy had needed to vent more than once in New Mexico.

Thor told her that her dad was a 'warrior of the likes he'd never encountered before, but strong and formidable' whatever that meant. She took it as a compliment.

Thor didn't seem of mind to let her dad take his time and figure shit out on his own, because how do you approach the daughter you'd abandoned when you turn into a city-smashing beast when the slightest things upset you? Not well. That was probably the most diplomatic answer, and Darcy should know from her polisci days.

Thor had called the Man of Iron and they'd cooked up a spot in Tony Fucking Starks' phallic New York skyscraper for her, Jane, and Erik. Ian wasn't invited. It was probably because he was new.

The big guy said Stark would have the resources to further their research, which was true, and that he and Jane would be able to stay together, which was also true, but Darcy had the sneaking suspicion the invite was also for her benefit when Thor had not-so-casually remarked that her father lived and worked at the Tower too.

The last thing she'd expected was to meet her soulmate there, though.

And not when her dad was having a panic attack that was making him look green, and not in a sick way but a 'Hulk Smash!' kinda way that was more than a little worrisome.

It all started because she _literally_ bumped into him in the communal kitchen when she was on a snack and coffee run for her and Jane. They'd been at the Tower for all of three days and she hadn't seen him yet, which was _totally fine_ and she got it, because he was having some _serious_ reactions to seeing her unexpectedly.

When she heard footsteps on the kitchen tile she turned towards the person, not even really registering who it was, and said in an urgent and trying-but-failing-to-stay-calm voice – she figured yelling, though she _really_ wanted to, would not go over well with her Hulk-father right then – "You better help me _right now_ or my dad's gonna blow his top, and that's no bueno."

"He's not gonna _blow_ he's gonna Hulk-out, which is _way_... Hey, you're Brucie babe's baby. Now _there's_ a tongue-twister."

She blinked at the man as his face finally registered through the overwhelming feelings of helplessness and being scared shitless swirling about her mind and clouding her vision. "And you're _Iron Man_ , can't you do something with your... Wait." What he said also took that moment to click, "You're my soulmate."

He looked at her stupidly for all of a millisecond before there was a sound like a pained roar coming from her father.

"JARVIS," Tony said as he carefully stepped between her and her dad with urgent pushing on her shoulders. "Enact Hulk emergency protocols."

A silent alarm was triggered evidenced by flashing lights in the hallways and metal shutters came down over each of the windows. Darcy's heart leaped into her throat and any thoughts she may have had about _Iron Man_ being her soulmate went flying out of her mind when her dad started bursting through the seams of his jacket.

"Bruce," Tony called while taking cautious but determined steps in her father's direction as he struggled to contain the Hulk coursing through his body. "You need to go to panic room B. Just around the corner. Remember?"

Her dad made a noise that may have been 'yes' or just a grunt, and started off down the hall as he visibly shook with each step, hunched over and making horrible noises that Darcy's sure will keep her up at night.

She doesn't think she even breathes until her dad steps through a double-metal door she didn't even know was a panic room until then.

"What woulda happened if he didn't go in there?" She whispers. Her voice sounds too loud in the wake of the doors slamming shut, and she's pretty sure the building just shook. She kinda wants to cry, but she settles for wrapping her arms around her middle and sniffling.

"The room would've been gassed." She turns towards Stark so quickly she's pretty shocked she didn't get whiplash, and she sees him grimace while he's quick to correct, " _Sleeping_ gas." He raises his hands apologetically. "Nothing that would've hurt him, I swear. I'd never do anything to hurt my best science bro. Honest." He stares at her long enough that she starts squirming. "So... soulmate."

It's her turn to grimace, and she looks briefly in the direction of the panic room her dad's currently _majorly_ freaking out in. "Not a good time, dude. How about... later?"

He nods, the building shakes again, "Sure."

* * *

They show each other their marks after dinner in Tony's suite. Her dad had fled after he Hulked to his rooms in the basement, which are apparently Hulk-proof. Something her soulmate did for her father, gave him a safe place, before he even knew he was his soulmate's dad. And she thinks she loves him a little for it.

Darcy sits back on the plush couch, something that probably cost more than any car she's ever owned, with a little sigh. "You know," she says contemplatively, "this whole thing probably doesn't say anything good about our relationship." She slides her eyes over towards Tony and sees his face is carefully neutral. "About me and my dad. Not us, you know, I think we're good."

He lets out a breath before sagging into her side and wrapping an arm around her waist. "You think he'll go green when we tell him?"

"Well, I'd have to have an actual conversation with him first," she says a touch bitterly. It takes her a moment's thought to catch on to what Tony's really asking though. "You think... you think he wouldn't approve? Of us?" She wiggles out of his grasp to stare up at him with a stubborn set to her shoulders. "He's my dad, and you're my _soulmate_. Plus you're bros, right? He'll be cool with it."

"Hate to break it to you, _soulmate_ , but I don't think that'll cut it." He ticks off his fingers. "One, I'm older than Bruce. Not by much, but in my experience people are usually squeamish about age differences. Two, Bruce is one of my best friends and knows about some... issues I have that might make him _not_ like the idea of me being involved with his daughter, soulmate or not."

He stops abruptly at that, and Darcy's face scrunches in confusion. "Like what? Weird sex things? Or do you do something really weird like put hot sauce on ice cream or something?"

Tony makes a face but doesn't comment on her last questions, "I'm selfish and do stupid dangerous things like fly a nuke through an alien portal into space."

Darcy points at herself, " _I'm_ selfish and I do stupid dangerous things like tase lost Gods of Thunder."

One of his brows arch up his forehead, "You tased Thor?"

"Yes, and it was epic, but," she draws the word out, "back to the point – I'm awesome, you're awesome, dad's awesome, and it'll work out."

* * *

She catches her dad a much calmer full day later when he's finished meditating, sleeping, and showering, via intel from JARVIS, and is in his lab.

She walks straight up to him, _after_ knocking and waiting for JARVIS to announce she's there, and hugs him. When he finally hugs her back she feels like crying a little. "I missed you daddy," she whispers into his chest. Rumpled and second-hand, just like she remembers. Even the faint scent of mothballs is comforting.

"I know sweetie," he says even quieter. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she replies and hugs him a little tighter while some tears escape from the corners of her eyes. It's nice, just the two of them and she really, really missed her dad. It didn't hit her just _how much_ until she was holding him.

"Tony Stark's my soulmate," she blurts and ruins the nice quiet moment. She didn't expect it to come out that way, and she grimaces and buries her face in her father's button-down shirt while praying he won't freak out on her.

He surprises her by _laughing_ – it was the last reaction she'd expected, honestly – though it's more of a wheezing chuckle. She looks up at him and pouts when he tries to smother an amused smile. "Sorry. Sorry, Darce. It's just... I wasn't expecting that."

"Neither was I," she comments and leans back a bit from him, but doesn't let go.

She watches his smile smother out into a concerned look she knows all too well, and she immediately hates that his happiness was so short-lived. "And you're... okay with that?" He hedges.

"Yeah," and it's her turn to smile. "He's really hot."

Her dad full-on belly laughs at that, and she thinks that maybe that was the second-best sound she's heard recently, right after the sound of her soulmark spoken by her soulmate.

And you know what? Tony does look at her the way Thor looks at Jane, the same way her father will look at Betty again, and she loves every moment of it.

It's her life, _their_ lives, and she loves every super crazy bit.


End file.
